Can't Take Nothing For Granted
by Lossepaste
Summary: There's trouble in the Digiworld, but it is it a new enemy or an old with a new look. In the midst of this trouble is there love in the air for Matt and Sora? Can the digidestined overcome this evil while overcoming their own differences?Part 4 is up! R
1. Can't Take Nothing For Granted: Part 1

***Disclaimer: Digimon and all it's char.'s belong to Bandai and Saban, none of them are mine, they never will be, and I give full credit for their creation to Bandai and Saban, bla, bla, bla….

***I got a new e-mail address so I had to make a new account and repost my work.  To everyone who's already R&R'd this, thanks sooooooo much!  I saved all of your reviews cuz I loved 'em so much.   This takes place in between Season 1 and Season 2.  Even though according to Season 2, the old Digidestined couldn't open the digiport, they can in this.  It kinda has 4 genre's, Action/Adventure, Drama, Angst, and Romance.  Anyway, here it is, enjoy!  

Can't Take Nothing For Granted Part 1 

It had been almost two years since they had seen their friends the Digimon, but it seemed a lot longer than that.  Matt Ishida sat in his room, remembering the time he'd spent with Gabumon, Sora, and all of their friends in the Digiworld.  Sometimes it made him sad when he thought of watching Gabumon vanish into the horizon as the trolley car flew back to the real world.  It almost seemed like a dream now.  Things had been so crazy and hectic then, always having to go help someone, or save one world or another, and now, he had time to spare.  He couldn't decide if things were peaceful, or just plain boring.

            He stood up at the sound of the phone ringing and expected to hear his dad's voice, telling him he was going to be late and asking him to make dinner, but was pleasantly surprised to hear Sora's voice on the other end.

            "Hi, Matt!"  she said happily.  "Do you want to go to the movies with me this afternoon?"

            "Really?!"  Matt was so excited about the offer he didn't know what to say.  "Um, yeah, I guess that would be fun," he said, trying to sound more cool and less desperate.  "What time?"

            "How about 3:00 o'clock, so we can all stop and get something to eat first?"

            "All?" he asked, having no trouble containing his excitement now.

            "Yeah.  You, me, Tai, and Izzy.  I asked Mimi too, but she's getting ready for a trip to America to check out houses with her parents."

            "Oh, ok", he replied, hoping he didn't sound too disappointed.  

            "Great!  We can all meet at Tai's.  See ya then!"

            "See ya," he said, hanging up the phone.

            He walked back to his room and flopped onto his bed with a sigh.  He had been alone with Sora once since they'd come home, and that was by accident.  They had just happened to run into each other while out running errands.  They weren't together long, they just took a walk in the park, but that one short time was all it took.  She was so easy to talk to, not to mention cute, funny, smart, and one of the nicest, most loving people he knew.  He could go on for hours listing all her positive attributes, but needed not even a minute for her faults.

            Despite having just talked to Sora, he couldn't help but feel a little depressed and angry.  Tai always seemed to one-up him.  He wasn't sure if Sora liked him or not, but he was pretty sure Tai liked her.  Tai was his friend, one of his best friends, but he still drove Matt nuts sometimes.  Matt knew he shouldn't be mad at him, after all, Tai didn't even know what he was doing to him.  Maybe it wasn't even Tai who was in the wrong here; maybe it was him.  If he were a good friend, he'd back off, and wait and see if anything happened between Sora and Tai.  Of course, he couldn't really back off until he had made a move, which was something he just wasn't ready to do.

            He picked up his new guitar to practice.  He had started learning to play it just after they came back from the Digiworld, and it always relaxed him.  He still liked his harmonica, but it just didn't have the sound he was looking for any more.  He was even beginning to try to write his own music and dreamed of putting his own band together.  

            As he played the sheet music in front of him, he thought about how much he had changed recently.  He used to be so withdrawn, and cold.  He never showed his true feelings, and while he appeared happy and friendly, he always felt loneliness inside.  Then Gabumon came into his life, and all of his new friends, and he was suddenly with T.K. again.  It was strange at first, but he soon found he liked being with these people.  Gabumon made him see things he never would have on his own, and things couldn't be going better for him.

            But now life was getting a little awkward again.  He was feeling things for Sora he never felt before, he didn't get to see T.K. very often, and there was this whole thing with Tai.  He knew if Gabumon were here, he'd help him figure things out.  He found himself missing Gabumon more everyday.  He didn't show Gabumon how much he cared about him as much as he should have.  He really kind of took him for granted.

            Matt put down his guitar when he realized it was already 2:45.  He quickly wrote a note to let his dad know where he was going, grabbed his money, and ran out the door for Tai's house.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Matt walked into the darkness of his apartment.  His dad still wasn't home.   _Surprise, surprise _he thought sarcastically.  He knew his dad's job was time consuming, but he just wished he were around more often.  Sometimes he wished he had a closer relationship with his dad, so he could talk to him about the whole Tai, Sora thing.  Maybe he could give him some advice.  He knew he needed it, he just didn't understand girls.  Sora would flirt a little, and act like she was interested, but then go and do the same thing with Tai.  Was she trying to keep the identity of the one she really liked a secret?  Or maybe she didn't like either of them as more than just friends and she was flirty by nature.

            Either way, he wasn't going to think about it now.  He had had a great time tonight, and he wanted that good feeling to last.  He always felt happy like this after being with Sora, even when Tai was around.  He didn't want to ruin his mood by over analyzing the situation.  She was almost like some kind of muse for him.  After being with her, he often felt inspired to try to write a song, but he still had a long way to go before he wrote anything that even came close to describing the emotions he was feeling.

            He sat down at his computer to check his e-mail.  As he scrolled down the mailbox deleting all of the spam and junk mail, he thought about e-mailing Sora, but that thought was quickly put out of his mind when he saw an e-mail from Joe with a subject reading "Emergency".  He double-clicked it and saw it had been sent to all of the Digidestined and wondered if they had read it yet.  

            His jaw dropped when he read the message in front of him.  He couldn't believe his eyes.  He didn't understand how it was possible.  Was it a joke?  No, it must be true; Joe would never joke around about something like this.  

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Gomamon swam through the river as quickly as he could, trying to reach the others.  He didn't dare stay where he was a second longer, not with the evil he could feel looming.  He had called Joe mentally and hoped the message would reach him through the internet.  Just when he thought he couldn't swim any more, he saw Tentomon sitting in a nearby tree.  He swam to the edge of the river and collapsed on the bank.

            "Tentomon, come here, hurry!," Gomamon called in a panicked voice.

            Tentomon flew down to where Gomamon lay.  "Gomamon, what happened?"

            "Tentomon, we're in big trouble!  You have to fly and get the others, and bring them back here as fast as you can."

            "Do I have to?  That's a lot of flying.  What's so important that I have to do all that?"

            "I'll explain when we're all together.  Now go, you have to hurry!"

            Tentomon could hear the urgency in Gomamon's voice, and that was all it took send him on his way.  Gomamon watched him fly out of sight as he crawled to the shelter of the nearby tree.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

             Matt followed Joe through the door into his family's apartment.  He looked around to see that Tai, Izzy, Sora, and Kari were already there.  Conveniently enough for him, there just happened to be room to sit beside Sora.  He sat down happily at first, but then mentally scolded himself for thinking of that at a time like this.

            Everybody turned their attention to Joe as he began to talk.  "Does anybody know where Mimi and T.K. are?"

"T.K. didn't have a way to get over here tonight, but he's staying with me and my dad this weekend, so we'll be able to fill him in then," Matt informed them.  He wondered if he was the only one who noticed the subtle look of disappointment on Kari's face.

"And Mimi is leaving to go house hunting in New York City with her parents, but she's only supposed to be gone a few days," Sora chimed in.

"Ok, then I guess we'll just have to figure this out without them," Joe continued.  "My Digivice was activated today, I'm assuming by Gomamon, but I didn't know how to reach him.  Luckily, though, he knew how to contact me, and he somehow e-mailed me and told me that Devimon was back, but meaner and more powerful than ever.  Gabumon also thinks he's digivolved."

            Everyone's face wore an expression of mixed anger, fear, and confusion.  Though they had all read the e-mail before coming, and somewhat knew the situation they were in, they were still affected by Joe's words.  Although they already knew, it was almost as if it wasn't real until someone finally spoke the words they were all dreading to hear.  It felt like if nobody said it, it wouldn't be a real threat, but it was a real threat, and a very dangerous one.

            Tai looked at Joe earnestly and asked, "We defeated Devimon, is he sure it's the same digimon.  We could be dealing with an entirely new enemy.

            "Whether he's a new digimon we haven't encountered or not, we're still going to have to go back and defeat him.", Sora said determinedly.

"But Geni told us we wouldn't be able to go back to the Digiworld.  How are we supposed to go help our digimon if we can't even get to them?," Kari asked, with obvious concern in her voice. 

            Izzy, always the one able to conquer any technological problem, answered her query.  "That's a good question Kari, one that I've already been thinking of myself.  I've been running a few experiments and I think I can use our Digivices to open a gate to the Digiworld through the internet.  I've been pondering this a lot since we've returned, and I think the internet has a direct connection to the Digital World."

            "Well, now that we have that figured out, the next obvious thing to do is to go the Digiworld," Tai said, eager to take action.

            Sora, ever the voice of reason, objected, "We need to have some kind of plan first, and we have to wait for Mimi and T.K."

            "And besides," Joe added, "what about our parents?  Time now flows at the same speed in both worlds, we can't just go off without telling them."

            "Well, they already know about the Digimon, and how important a responsibility this is.  Maybe if we just explain to them what's going on, they'll understand and let us go.  They did before," Matt reminded them.

            "I think that's a good idea Matt," Joe said.  "Honesty is the best policy.  I think we should just talk to our parents, wait for Mimi and T.K., go to the Digiworld and figure it out from there.  We can't really make any definite plans of action until we talk to the digimon and find out exactly what's going on.  At least this time we'll have more time to get prepared and bring supplies.  So everybody get ready for what could possibly be a long trip and we'll meet back at Izzy's house Monday."

            They all agreed and left Joe's house quietly, none of them in the same carefree mood they were in earlier.  They thought they had saved the world, but apparently their job wasn't over yet, and they had no idea what they were about to face.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            The eight Digidestined Digimon listened to Gomamon in silent shock.  They couldn't believe the first enemy they ever had to fight was actually back.  Unlike his partner Joe, Gomamon was known to have a sense of humor, but they could all tell by the grave expression on his face that this was no joke.  What were they going to do?  How could they beat him when they haven't even been able to digivolve since their partners left?  

            "Gomamon," Palmon asked, "Do Mimi and the others know about this?"

            "I contacted Joe, so all we can do now is hope they get the message and find a way to come help us."  

            Agumon, assuming the role as leader, suggested, "Until we hear from them we should watch for Devimon, and find out as much as we can about how he's changed and what's he's up to, and help protect the digimon that can't defend themselves against him."

            "What about us?  We can't even defend ourselves if we can't digivolve.  How do u expect us to help others?" Tentomon asked.

            "True," Biyomon agreed, "but even so, it's our duty as the Digidestined Digimon to protect the Digital World."

            "I agree with Biyomon and Agumon", Patamon added.  "We have to do whatever we can to help."

            "Yes, and we'll probably be safest if we're not alone," Gabumon said.  "We should split up into groups of two to investigate.  "Patamon, I'll go with you.

            "Yeah, that's a good idea," Agumon thought aloud.  "I'll go with you Gatomon, and Palmon you go with Gomamon, and Tentomon, you with Biyomon.  If everyone's okay with that, I think we should split up and start investigating!"

            "Right!" they all shouted in unison.  They all walked off into opposite directions with their partners, hoping this wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            _Finally, it's Friday,_ Matt thought, as he gazed out the window at the fading light of the afternoon sun.  _As soon as T.K. gets here we'll be able to get to the Digiworld._  The rest of that week had seemed to creep by for all of them.  They had talked to their parents, and although incredibly reluctant, they realized the severity of the situation and would allow their children to go help their friends.  Mimi came home from the United States early so they decided to leave on Friday instead.  All they had to do now was wait for T.K. to come over. 

            Matt stood up as his mom's car pulled up to the sidewalk.  He wasn't sure if T.K. told her where he was really going or not, but from the lack of worry on her face, he assumed he hadn't.  Maybe it was better that way though.  Matt didn't' want to put her through more stressful days and sleepless nights.  

He rode the elevator down to the first floor of his building to meet T.K. as he came through the door.  He was growing so fast, and didn't need Matt as much as he used to.  Matt wasn't sure if he felt relief, or like he was being cast aside.  He still had difficulty seeing T.K. as a growing boy becoming more and more independent; he still looked at him as his kid brother that needed protection and guidance. 

            "Hey, T.K..  Are you ready to go?" Matt asked, waving out the window to their mom as she pulled away from the curb.

            Already pressing the elevator button, T.K. replied, "Yeah!  I can't wait to see Patamon!  Are we leaving soon?"

            "T.K., this isn't a social visit.  Do you know how dangerous this is going to be?"  They boarded the elevator and Matt pressed the button for their floor.

            "Yeah, I know, but Patamon beat that old Devimon before, he can do it again.  I know he can."

            "This isn't the same Devimon we faced before though.  He's bigger and stronger now."

            "I have faith in our digimon, and you should too!"

            They walked off the elevator and into the apartment.  "I do, it's just that I don't think you should be taking this so lightly."

            T.K. followed Matt into his room.  "Aw Matt, you worry too much, now lets go say bye to Dad and get to Izzy's."

            _At least he's not afraid to go_, Matt thought, as they walked into the living room where Matt's dad was watching T.V..  "Um, Dad.  We're leaving now for Izzy's house, we might not be back for a little while."

            Mr. Ishida didn't answer at first.  He didn't even respond.  After an awkward silence, he turned around to face his sons.  "Part of me is saying I shouldn't let you go, it's too dangerous, but I know how important this is.  Boys, I'm counting on both of you to look out for each other.  It wasn't so bad when the problems were here, in Odaiba, at least then I could help and keep an eye out for the two of you.  I won't you both to promise that you'll be careful, and T.K., try to do what your brother says," He then glanced at Matt and continued, "as long as it's within reason."

            "We promise," they said in unison."  With that, their father hugged them and they said their goodbyes.  Matt didn't like this; they were acting like it was final and it made him feel a little uneasy.  Dismissing the feeling, he led T.K. out the door and they were on their way to Izzy's apartment.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Can I offer any of you something to eat or drink?," Mrs. Izzumi asked.

            "No Mom, but thanks anyway," Izzy replied.

            "Oh Izzy, do you have to go?" she asked, not even trying to hide her worry.

            "Yes Mom, I do.  We've already talked about this, and you know I have to.  But don't worry, we'll be back, I promise."

            "I know, and I know you'll come back, safe and sound, but I can't help worrying."

            The looks on the faces of the other seven kids revealed that they were all thinking of their families, and the risk that they might not see them again.  They all knew Izzy couldn't guarantee the promise he'd just made, but things like that were necessary to ensure their being allowed to go.  "I think we should say our goodbyes now, Mom.  I don't know how stable this portal will be, or how much longer I'll be here.  I'll be right back you guys."  They all watched as Izzy walked out of his bedroom with his mom.

            Matt risked a glance at Sora, and was surprised to see she was looking at him.  He looked away, blushing.  

It was another one of those awkward silences while they waited for Izzy to return.  They were excited, scared, happy, and sad all at once, but nobody knew what to say to each other.

            It was Mimi who finally said something.  "Hey, you guys, Izzy's computer is glowing, look at the screen." They all followed Mimi's gaze to the monitor and saw a white light radiating from it.

            "Izzy, get in here!" Tai called.  "I think it's time to go!"  Izzy came running through the door just as they were all enveloped in the brilliant light.

            Mrs. Izzumi watched with shock as the light faded and the children were gone.

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                                    ***Well, that's the end of Chapter One.  I hope you liked it.  What will the Digidestined find when they reach the Digiworld, will they be able to save it yet again?  Pleeeaaawe, R&R sometime during one the chap.'s that r up.  Constructive criticism(emphasis on constructive) is more than welcome.  Thanks!


	2. Can't Take Nothing For Granted: Part 2

                  ***Disclaimer:  I don't own Digimon

                  ***Like I said b4, had to make a new account and repost cuz I got a new e-mail address.  Thanks again to all those who already R&R'd.  Part 2 is about 900 words shorter, but I think it's a little more interesting.  This is where it really gets into the Sorato stuff and where the action starts to happen.  I hope you like it!.

Can't Take Nothing For Granted Part 2 

Matt opened his eyes and looked around.  Every one of them were sprawled all over the ground, all looking a little dazed and confused.  As he sat up he bumped someone and realized it was Sora.  "Sora, Sora, are you okay?" he asked, lifting her up a little.

         She opened her eyes and smiled a little.  "Yeah Matt, I'm fine," She answered.

         They stood up and organized themselves.  The look of confusion on their faces only grew as the surveyed the land around them.  It looked barren and dead.  There didn't seem to be anyone around, anywhere.  They hoped they weren't too late.

         It was then that they heard a small voice coming from behind them.  "Kari?  Kari!  It's you, you're here!"  They all turned to see Gatomon running towards them.

         "Tai, you made it!" Agumon called, not too far behind Gatomon.  Matt watched as Tai and Kari hugged their Digimon, and just became more anxious to see Gabumon.

         "Yeah buddy, we're finally back," Tai replied.  "But where are the other Digimon?"  

         "We're right here," they all heard Gabumon say.

         The only thing that could have made Matt happier at that moment would have been a kiss from Sora.  "Gabumon!  You're okay!"  Matt said, running to greet his friend.

         "Yeah, I'm fine.  We all came back here to report what we've seen, but we didn't expect you to be here."

         "Yeah, we're here," Matt replied casually, trying to save his cool, carefree reputation.  "What happened here?"

         "It's Wardevimon," Patamon told them.  "I don't think Angemon alone can stop him this time."

         "Wardevimon?" Joe asked.

         "Yes," Gomamon answered, "Devimon digivolved.  He's much bigger now, more powerful, and better equipped for battle, and he's pure evil."

         "How could he digivolve?" Sora asked.  "We defeated him, I thought he was gone."

         Biyomon looked at Sora and said, "We did, and we're not completely sure how he came back.  The only explanation we can think of is that he was reborn in the Primary Village."

         "Well, if Devimon was reborn, then can't every evil digimon we've battled come back too?" Izzy pondered aloud.

         "That's a good question Izzy," Tentomon replied.  "We can discuss if more after we find some shelter, it's getting dark."

         "Is there any shelter left?" Mimi asked.

         "Yeah," Palmon told her, "fortunately not all of the Digiworld looks like this yet."

         "Then we better get going," Tai said.

         They began their hike to the nearest place where they could find cover.  Matt spent the whole trip stealing glances at Sora.  Once or twice they even made eye contact.  He wanted to talk to her but didn't know what to say.

         "If you like her, Matt, you should talk to her," Gabumon asked.

         "Huh?"  Matt was daydreaming and took a second to register the remark.  "Like her?  What makes you think I like her?"  He knew he could talk to Gabumon about it, but he was just too shy and embarrassed.

         "Well, the blushing doesn't exactly help you keep your secret.  Just tell her how you feel, I have a feeling she feels the same way."

         "No she doesn't.  Why would she when she can have Tai?"

         "You'll never know if you don't talk to her."

         "What do you know?  I've never seen you with a girl."  They had dropped back behind the group now, and Matt let his voice rise a little.  " I'll talk to her when I'm ready, and I'm not right now."

         "I can talk to Biyomon, and she can talk to Sora and find out how she feels."

         "Gabumon, listen to me, I'll take care of it my own way.  I'm just afraid, that if she doesn't feel the same way," he had trouble getting those words out, "it'll ruin our friendship too.  Now stop bothering me about it, don't pressure me into it."  He was having trouble hiding his growing annoyance.

         "Matt, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.  This is Sora, she'll understand, whether she feels the same way or not.  Now go.  Talk to her."

         "Would you just lay off!" he yelled.  "I'll do it when I'm ready!"  

         The whole group stopped and looked back at them.  Matt looked at Gabumon and saw the hurtful expression on his face.  Luckily he hadn't yelled anything about whom they were talking about or what he wasn't ready to do.  They all began walking again, and Matt and Gabumon spent the rest of the hike in silence.

                  *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

The group of children and digimon walked until they reached a lake in the middle of a forest.  Matt gazed out over the water and saw an island in the middle attached to the shore by a 

sand bar.  He remembered this place like he had just been here yesterday.  It was where Gabumon first digivolved to save him from Seadramon, and the place where they said goodbye to their Digimon.  His memories were interrupted when he heard Tai say, "I think we should stay in the cover of the trees.  We don't have a trolley car for shelter on the island this time."  They all agreed and settled into a nice grassy area just beyond the shore.

         It was late, and they had already walked a considerable distance and were all pretty worn out.  It didn't take long before most of them were asleep.  Matt just lay there with his eyes closed, thinking of Sora, happy to be here with her again, despite the circumstances.  He then thought of Gabumon, and how rude he was to him.  He shouldn't have snapped at him like that.  This whole time he wanted Gabumon's advice, and then he rejected it.  He heard the sounds of someone walking around and opened his eyes to see Sora out to the island.  He didn't say anything, just watched her sit down in the middle of the island, silhouetted in the moonlight.

         Finally, after admiring her from afar from a few minutes, he got up and walked out to the island.  She looked up as he came up behind her.  "Mind if I sit down?" he asked?

         "No, go ahead," she replied.  "Couldn't sleep either?"

         "No, not really.  It's a nice night too, so I thought I'd come out here with you."

         After another one of those darn awkward silences, Sora finally said, "Are you scared Matt?"

         "A little, but we've done this before, and we've always come out alright in the end.  We shouldn't be careless, but I know we can beat this guy."

         She smiled, gosh how he loved that smile.  "Yeah, I guess you're right."

         "Besides," he said beginning to blush and looking away, "I won't let anything happen to you."

         "Really Matt?  Do you mean that?"

         He turned his gaze back toward her.  "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

         "Can I tell you something?"

         "Anything," he said, looking into her eyes.

         "You have to promise not tell Tai though."  She looked a little upset, but Matt thought that lost, little girl look was cute, and it just made him want to make every problem in her life disappear.  "This is so hard, I don't want to hurt him."

         "You have my word, anything said here is strictly between us."  She was so beautiful.  The silvery light of the moon made her hair shimmer, and the reflection of the stars seemed to dance in her eyes.

         "I like you, Matt, a lot.  I care about you so much, and I've felt this way for a while, but I just didn't know how to tell you."

         "Oh, Sora, you don't know how happy you've just made me," he said, caressing her face gently.  "I've wanted to tell you the same exact thing, but I really didn't think you'd feel the same way.  I mean, with Tai always around, I thought you might've liked him."

         "No, that's not how I feel at all.  That's why it took me so long to tell you, but I never felt for Tai that way.  I just don't know what I'm going to do though.  I know he likes me, and he's going to be so upset.  How am I going to…"

         Matt quieted her by lifting her chin and giving her the sweetest, most caring kiss someone his age could.  For that moment it seemed that the whole world had stopped revolving, nothing existed except Matt, Sora, and that kiss.  They both moved away slightly, looking deeply into each other's eyes.  Wardevimon could've attacked at that moment, and neither of them would've noticed.

         She leaned in close to him and laid her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her.  They sat there and talked for most of the night before returning to where the others sleep, not even realizing how much time was passing.  Someone else did notice though.  Tai had woken up just in time to see his best friend, and his first real crush, kiss.

                  *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

         They all woke up shortly after sunrise that day, deciding they should get an early start.  They did some fishing and gathered some fruit from the trees before they left.  Matt apologized to Gabumon and told him what happened during the night, and he was pretty sure Sora had told Biyomon.  They decided not to tell anybody else yet.  They didn't want this to distract anybody from their current mission.  

         Matt couldn't help noticing that Tai was acting a little differently.  He seemed kind of distracted and moody, and he was quick to lose his temper.  He dismissed it and figured he was just a little worried about facing Wardevimon.

         He and Sora tried not to spend too much time together, paranoid that someone was sure to figure out what was going on.  When he saw Tai watching them, and sometimes what looked like glaring at them, he began to grow even more paranoid.  If he found out, it could cause a lot of trouble within the group, and would make their mission a lot more difficult.

         Matt and Sora finally found the chance to have a minute alone together, when he went to gather firewood to take with them, and she went in search of more food.  They left in opposite directions, but soon caught up with each other.  They still continued their jobs, they just did it together.  Just when Matt took Sora's hand in his, Tai jumped at him and knocked him to the ground. Matt rolled over and raised his arm in time to block a punch.  "What's wrong with you, dude?" Matt asked while trying to roll out from under Tai.

         "Isn't that what I should be asking?!  I thought you were my friend Matt, but you're nothing but a backstabber!"  Hearing that made Matt mad enough to start throwing his own punches, instead of just blocking Tai's.  

         "Matt, Tai!  Both of you stop right now!" Sora yelled.

         They continued rolling around on the ground hitting each other for several minutes before they were finally stopped, but it wasn't Sora's plea's that stopped them; it was the dark figure looming over them.  They both sat up and stared at it in surprise and fear.  He was a huge, dark centaur like digimon, but it certainly wasn't Centauromon.  The horse half of his body was black, while the skin of his human half was a dark gray.  He wore a helmet and some kind of armor, and a silver gauntlet on his right wrist with what looked like retractable sword.  He also wore a shield on his left arm that appeared to be attached to him.  He towered over the two boys with an evil smirk on his face as Sora watched from behind.

         He reared up into the air, and it looked like he was preparing to trample them.  Matt and Tai wasted no time, and took this opportunity when he wasn't looking to get up and run.  Matt grabbed Sora's arm and they raced to the rest of the group.  _Could this be Wardevimon?_, Matt thought as he ran.  _It doesn't look anything like him._  

As they neared the others they began shouting a warning, hoping the digimon would be ready to fight before the monster caught up to them.  They could hear the hoof beats rushing up behind them just as they reached the other kids and they're already digivolved digimon.  "Thunder Blade!" the strange digimon yelled as he came crashing out of the trees.  A bolt of lightning exploded out of his now extended sword at his command.  It was a lot like Centauromon's attack, but they all had a feeling it wasn't a black gear corrupting this digimon.

"Howling Blaster", Garurumon yelled as he leapt at the new enemy.  The other's quickly followed his lead.  "Nova Blast, Needle Spray, Meteor Wing, Hand of Fate, Celestial Arrow, Electro Shocker, Harpoon Torpedo."  Their attacks were to no avail as the enemy digimon deflected them all and continued an attack of his own.  

"You've got to digivolve to the next level!" Tai called.  The digimon needed no more prompting than that, and in no time they were all at their ultimate level.  They continued their attack, but they just weren't strong enough.  Before long, they had run out of energy and dedigivolved back to their rookie stages.

"Gabumon, Agumon," Matt said, "you've got to warpdigivolve now!"

"Gabumon, warpdigivolve to…Metalgarurumon."

"Agumon, warpdigivolve to…Wargreymon." 

The two mega digimon began a relentless attack, not giving the enemy the opportunity to fight back.  It didn't take long for the strange digimon to realize he would be overpowered and defeated.  He fled without so much as a glance back at them.  He just yelled "He who fights and runs away, lives to kill another day!"  With that he was gone, and an uneasy peace returned to the area.

"Who was that?" T.K. asked.  "Was it Wardevimon?"

"No," Tentomon answered.  "That was Ariesmon, the digimon of war.  From what I've heard he's just as evil and heartless as his master Wardevimon, though not nearly as powerful."

"So now we have to worry about him and Wardevimon?" Mimi asked.  "I don't think I can handle this."

"Don't worry Mimi," Joe said soothingly.  "We're in this together, and we can do anything if we work as a team."

"But only if all the members of the team trustworthy."  Tai shot a glance at Matt.  "It's hard to help your digimon fight, when you're worried about yourself being stabbed in the back"

"It doesn't help when certain members of the group are immature and can't handle the fact that they don't always get what they want."

"What's going on Tai?" Kari asked.

"Why don't you ask the two love birds?" At that, the whole group turned to look at Sora and Matt with surprise and curiosity.  They came clean with everything that was going on between them.

"I'm not going to stay here and put up with this." Tai fumed.  "We're here to fight, not make out!  I'm leaving and finding Wardevimon on my own.  At least I don't have to worry about him turning on me!"  Tai began walking off with Agumon at his heels. 

"No, wait Tai," Izzy called.  "You guys can work this out, you're best friends.  Don't you remember what happened all the other times we were split up?  Haven't you ever heard the saying 'Divide and conquer'?"

"Who cares?  Let him go," Matt said with vehemence in his voice.  "We don't need cry baby's in the group anyway!"

Tai was nearly out of sight now and didn't look back or respond in any way.  Matt didn't care if Tai never came back.  At least he didn't think he did.  It wasn't until they heard a scream from the woods in the distance about ten minutes later that Matt felt bad for what he'd done to his best friend.  They ran in the direction of the sound, and as they came closer, Matt thought he could see and orange figure lying on the ground in the distance.  That scream was unmistakably Tai's, and it was Matt's fault that he was out there alone.

         *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

                  ***What happened to Tai, and when will Wardevimon show himself, instead of sending his flunkies.  Will Matt, Sora, and Tai work out their problems, if they can find Tai?  If you like it go read Part 3 and the R&R!


	3. Can't Take Nothing For Granted: Part 3

***Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

*** In this chapter, things get a little more angsty, but it's not too bad.  

Can't Take Nothing For Granted Part 3 

"Agumon!" Kari yelled, as the Digidestined, minus one, ran up to the barely conscious digimon.  She sat down beside him and rested his head on her lap.  "Agumon, where's Tai?!  What happened?!"  

         "What?" he answered, in a groggy, confused voice.  "Tai, Ariesmon…"

         "What?!  Ariesmon came back?!"  Kari asked frantically.  "Is Tai ok?!"  Tears were beginning to well in the little girls eyes.

         "Kari, it'll be ok," Sora said, trying to console her.  She kneeled beside her and wrapped her arms around her.  "We need to give Agumon some time to rest and regain his senses.  He'll be able to answer all our questions then."  She turned to look at Matt, but he had backed away from the group into the secrecy of the shadows.  If she knew him as well as she thought she did, he was trying to conceal the worried and guilt-ridden look he must have had on his face.

         Joe came and lifted Agumon up and carried him back the lake, with the others following behind.  He administered what first aid he could to the battered digimon and made him as comfortable as possible while he slept.  "He's suffering from a severe concussion and some cuts and bruises, maybe a contusion, but he'll be alright" Joe told them.

         "Well, now we know _he'll_ be ok, but what about Tai?" T.K. asked.  "How are we gonna find him, Matt?"  Matt just looked at him and shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to tell his little brother.  He had been silent ever since they found Agumon, and it wasn't difficult to see how bad he felt.  Sora wanted nothing more than to make him feel better and let him know everything would be all right, but there was just no reasoning with him when he was like this.

         Matt walked away from the group to be by himself and think for a little bit.  Was Sora really worth all of this trouble?  Was building the relationship that he'd dreamed of for so long a good reason to ruin a friendship?  He just didn't know.  Even though they had their differences, he cared about Tai like a brother, and that was a friendship he was in no hurry to end.  On the other hand, deep down he'd always dreamed of having someone like Sora.  He could confide in her things he'd never even considered telling anyone else.  He could confide in Tai of course, but his relationship with Sora was different, she mad him happy in ways Tai, obviously, never would.  But he still needed someone like Tai to pal around with.  After all, there were just some things you didn't want to talk to a girl about.  The last thing he wanted to do was to have to choose between his best friend, and his true love.

         "Hey everybody," he heard Gatomon call, "Agumon is waking up!"

         They all circled around him, watching him open his eyes wearily and slowly sit up.  "Agumon, where's Tai?" Kari asked anxiously.

         He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.  "What? Tai?"  He looked at the concerned faces around him as he realized where he was and what was going on.  "Tai!  Ariesmon came back, and he attacked!  He just came out of nowhere, I had no time to digivolve!  He attacked me, and Tai tried to help, and he just grabbed him and ran off into the woods!  I tried to chase after them, and digivolve, but Ariesmon just wore me out.  I fell down, and tried to get back up, and that's all I remember.  We have to go find him!"

         "Lets go," Matt said, "there's no time to waste.  It's my fault this happened and we have to go bring him back."

         "But Matt," Gabumon said, "we don't even know where he is."

         "Then we have to go look!  We're not going to get anywhere if we just sit here talking about it!"  They all seemed reluctant to rush off into the night with Matt.  "Come on, you all know if it was anybody else, Tai would already be gone, trying to find them!"

         They looked at each other as if trying to decide what was best.  They didn't need words to know that Matt was right.  "I can use my computer to map out a path, and maybe if we split up and cover more ground, we'll be able to find him."  Looking at the digimon, Izzy continued, "Do you guys have any idea where Wardevimon could be?"

         Patamon who had been pretty quiet finally spoke up, "No, but maybe if Biyomon, Tentomon, and I fly ahead and scout out the area, we might spot something."

         "That's a good idea," Joe said, "but I think Agumon needs more time to rest, so why don't you three go fly around and see if you can find anything, then come back here.  We'll wait until Agumon is ready, and then go."  

         "But-", Matt began to protest.

         "But nothing," Joe said, stopping him.  "I know you want to go, but Agumon needs more time and this way no body gets lost or separated while they're out searching for clues.  We're not going to get to Tai any faster if we wander around aimlessly, and they can make better time flying without us.  I'm figuring they'll probably want to use Tai as bate, so they won't kill him, and since they have bait, they'll wait for us to come to them, so I don't think we're in any immediate danger."  

         Izzy added, "And you know Tai, he won't be easy to keep captive.  He can take care of himself until we get there to help, at least as long as he doesn't stick his foot in his mouth or something."

         "Yeah," Joe said, "and you guys should trust us.  After all, we didn't get the Crests of Knowledge and Reliability for nothing."

         With that, they all agreed on Joe's plan and watched as Biyomon, Tentomon and Patamon flew off into the distance, hoping they wouldn't be hurt.  As hard as it was, the only thing they could do now was sit and wait for their return and pray for their friend Tai.

                  *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

         Wardevimon watched with a wicked, yet pleased, grin on his face, as his servant Ariesmon carried in an unconscious young boy.  It didn't take him long to recognize the face of the apparent leader of the Digidestined.  The thought evoked memories of anger and hatred in him that hadn't died over the years.  "Bring him here," he ordered.  He continued watching as Ariesmon dropped the boy at his feet.  

Ariesmon wasn't nearly as intelligent or strong as himself, but he was still a good servant.  Much better than that fumbling oaf Ogremon, anyway.  From what he was told, that foolish sap had joined the Digidestined children shortly before they last left the Digital World.  Upon hearing that, he hunted him down to test out his newly gained power.  The poor excuse of a digimon had been easy enough to subdue, and no one in the world of the living had to deal with him and his traitorous ways now. 

"Did he put up much of a fight," Wardevimon asked, eyeing the boy over.

"No.  With his pathetic partner knocked out, he was no problem at all.  Can I dispose of him now?"

This brought another grin to Wardevimon's face.  Ariesmon was a very worthy servant indeed.  He was cruel, ruthless, and loved nothing more than killing in cold blood.  "No, let him live.  For now anyway.  I think he'll be of more use to us alive, but w hen I'm tired of him, what happens to him next will in be your hands."

         "Thank you, my lord," Ariesmon said humbly.  His lips curved in an evil smile, already planning what unusual and painful things the boy called Tai had in store.

Wardevimon nudged Tai with his foot, but the boy showed no signs of waking anytime soon.  Just in case though, he had Ariesmon put him in the cell in his throne room.  

He had built a magnificent lair for himself.  Unless you knew the tricks and proper paths and corridors, it was impossible to find your way through his castle.  The correct way led directly to this throne room, but no enemy would ever get this far; at least not in one piece.

         Being the heart of his castle, he spent much of his time here.  It held many powerful and valuable things; things he would never let anybody else touch.  Few had ever seen the wonder that was this room, and most of those who had, never left to talk about it.  It was a complete mystery to nearly all who dwelt in the Digital World, and he intended to keep it that way.

He rose from his throne and walked to a dark, floating orb, levitating above the opened claw of a Skullgreymon that he used for a stand.  That digimon had put up quite a fight, but it was still no match for his ever-increasing powers.  He gazed into it as an image of the other seven children appeared.  They were greeting the returning digimon who they had sent out to find him.  He should've watched to see if they actually _did_ find him, but he was sure they would come eventually.  He had their beloved leader after all.

He thought about that some more, and maybe they weren't that concerned about this Tai.  He had witnessed the amusing fight he had with the blond boy, Matt was it?  They were destroying themselves from with in, making his job much easier.  It wouldn't be long before they weakened themselves enough for him to demolish them.  But he had done this before, underestimated them.  He knew they were a strong team, and he should give them some credit, but how could they even dream of conquering him, when they couldn't even conquer their own emotions.

He watched them organize themselves and begin the trek to his domain.  It would not be an easy one, he would see to that.  Even so, it wouldn't' take long before they found his castle, and he needed to be prepared.  Judging by the look on their faces, there little "scouts" had been clever enough to find something.

         *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

Gabumon watched Matt beat himself emotionally as they continued to lag behind the group.  He thought Matt should be happy that Patamon, Biyomon, and Tentomon had been able to find something.  After searching for a while and talking to other digimon they met along the way, they had discovered Wardevimon's stronghold.  They had said it didn't look like it would be easy to get into, and it was still quite a distance away when walking, but at least it was a start. 

He noticed Sora glancing back to look at Matt occasionally, and she looked very concerned.  He knew if anyone could make Matt feel better, it would be Sora.  "Matt, maybe you should go talk to her", Gabumon suggested.

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea right now.  I've got to think about this whole thing some more first."

"What whole thing?  If you ask me, there's not too much to think about.  You care about her, she cares about you, what more is there to say?"

"It's not that easy though, there _is_ more to say.  If I hadn't talked to her in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Well, actually, we'd still be on our way to Wardevimon's castle eventually.  After all, he's the reason you all came back in the first place.  And this conflict between the three of you would've been inevitable, whether you were here, or in the real world."

"But at least if it happened in the real world, Tai wouldn't have been abducted by a psychotic, blood-thirsty digimon."

"You just have to talk to her Matt.  Look at her up there; she looks like she's feeling as guilty as you are.  It's better you straighten this whole thing out now than later _when _we get Tai back.  Trust me, she needs to talk to you just as much as you need to talk her, I think you two were made for each other.  Now go, you can help each other.

"I guess you're right.  Thanks Gabumon." 

The two of them rejoined the group, who, for most of the trip, had been relatively silent.  Gabumon thought about what a peaceful trip this had been so far as he watched Matt approach Sora and pull her away from the group.  It had been too peaceful, and he knew Wardevimon's flunkies had to be up to something.  He moved closer to make sure Matt actually did talk to her and listened in.

"Hey Sora", Matt said in a slightly shaky voice.

"Hey", she replied, not looking him in the eye.

"Are you ok?  You look like you're blaming yourself for this, and you shouldn't be, it really isn't your fault.  If it's anyone's, it's mine."

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me.  And it's as much my fault as it is yours.  I knew how Tai felt about me.  I should've been more considerate of his feelings, I should've waited until he found someone else"

"No, don't blame yourself, please.  It was me who went out to you and started the conversation."

"But it was me who confessed how I felt."

"Yeah, but it was me who kissed you.  And to be honest, I'm glad it happened.  I feel so selfish thinking that, but I can't help how I feel, and I can't stand hiding it anymore.  I care about you a lot and-"

"Matt stop.  We have to stop talking about this, maybe even stop talking altogether for a while."

"What?!  But-"

"Please Matt, don't.  If you don't let me say this now, I might not have the strength later, and then it might be too late.  Listen, I really think we need to think about what we're doing here.  I don't know what I was saying out on that island, I guess I just got caught up in the moment or something, but I have to think about how I really feel.  I just need some time to think, some time without you.  Don't take this the wrong way, please; I just need to think things out more.  Like you said, we were being selfish, and I think we should take Tai's feelings and how this could effect the rest of the group into consideration.  I just need some time, ok?"

Matt just looked at her, shocked.  He was left nearly breathless after hearing those words.  "Sora, no, please.  I bared my soul to someone for the first time, to you, and you tell me you need time?"  Not knowing what to feel, his first instinct was anger to hide the hurt.  He continued in an aggravated whisper, "For the first time in years, I felt like everything was right, like everything was where it was meant to be, and now you say I might be wrong, that you're feelings might be wrong!"

"Matt, I just thought-"

"No Sora, I don't want anymore explanations.  I've had enough explanations why people can't be together to last me a lifetime!  If you want time, then that's what I'll give you."  With that, Matt stormed away from her while the others wondered what had happened.  Gabumon followed after him, wondering what could've gone wrong.  He knew the two of them belonged together.

"Matt, wait!", Gabumon called.  "What happened, what's wrong?"

"You want to know what's wrong?  Just when I thought I was beginning to figure my life out, everything becomes confusing again!  You were wrong Gabumon!  Sora and I were not "made for each other"!  I don't need her or anybody else.  People were just not meant to be together, no matter how they feel.  If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that there's no such thing as a happy ending.  I don't want or need to be a Digidestined anymore.  I'm leaving, and this time, don't follow me."

"But Matt…" Gabumon's voice trailed off as he watched his partner jog off into the forest.  He was so shocked, and hurt, that he didn't know what to say, or how to react.  Should he go after Matt?  He felt it best that he didn't.  Matt obviously didn't want to listen or be with Gabumon.  Was Matt right, were there no happy endings?

         *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

 Tai slowly opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision.  He shook his head groggily, becoming aware of a pounding headache.  Feeling a little disoriented, he took his time sitting up, unsure of where he was.  It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the relative darkness, but when they did, he didn't like what he saw.  He was surrounded by damp, moldy stone walls on three sides, and in front of him were bars.  He was in some kind of prison cell or dungeon.  As he gazed though the iron bars, the realization of what happened and where he was slowly hit him.  He moved quietly, not wanting his captors to know he was awake.  

He saw Ariesmon standing beside a large throne and another digimon standing over some weird glowing thing.  This one was very tall with a very muscular build.  He was blacker than the darkest night sky and looked as cold and unforgiving as a hard winter wind.  He noticed the long, and what he thought awkward looking, arms, the enormous dark wings, and a feeling of dread grew in the pit of his stomach.  This was him, this was Wardevimon.  He didn't look too different from before, the same depraved grin, the same malevolent eyes, and the same evil voice.  He did look stronger though, and more intimidating than the first time they fought him.

He was able to see just enough of the glowing ball Wardevimon was staring into to see what he was looking at.  It was his friends, all of them except Matt.  He had nearly forgotten about the whole Matt/Sora thing and his first thought was, where was Matt?  He was hoping he wasn't captured too.  When trying to get a closer look, he bumped the bars and they made a pinging sound.  It wasn't too loud, but it was loud enough for his enemies on the other side to hear.  They both quickly turned their attention to the cell and saw Tai moving to the back of the cell.  Wardevimon walked to the cell and said with a wicked grin on his face, "So, our guest is awake."

         *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 *

***Where will Matt go and what will happen to him?  Will the group be able to function under all this pressure while missing 2 Digidestined?  Stay tuned for the next episode of Digimon: Digital Monsters in "Can't Take Nothing For Granted". (I know that was cheesy).  Did I make Matt too moody?  Oh well, please R&R.  All the good reviews I got b4 were great.  Thanx!


	4. Can't Take Nothing For Granted: Part 4

            ***Disclaimer: Digimon and all it's char.'s belong to Bandai and Saban, etc.

            ***Like I said in the summary, this part is considerably shorter than the others.  It's now reaching it's climax, sorry it took so long to post it.  I hope you like it!

Can't take Nothing For Granted 

Matt walked thought the dismal woods.  Despite the sun shining brightly over head, it was still dim beneath the trees.  He had cooled off a bit and his pace had slowed, but he was still miserable.  The first girl he ever really cared for said she couldn't be with him, and he had yelled at, and basically ditched, his partner, his best friend.  On top of all that, he didn't know where he was going or how to get to Tai.  If only he hadn't blown up like that, if he could just control his temper.

            He was alone now, again, and had time to really think.  He had that feeling of déjà vu, and he knew why.  This was just like the time he was alone before battling Piedmon.  This time though, he felt worse about it.  Could this mean he was warming up to the idea of actually _wanting_ to be with other people.  But if he weren't careful, he may end up like Tai.  At least if that happened, he'd find Tai, he could apologize, and together they'd be able to figure something out.  

            He lost complete track of time and how far he had traveled while contemplating his life and all the mistakes he had made.  He was just thinking of how he couldn't stand when he would mope around, wallowing in self-pity for no good reason, when he realized it was getting dark.  He had been walking all day with no real direction.  He didn't know where he was, where the others were, or if he were anywhere near Tai.  He stopped to try to decide the best way to go when he noticed a cave in the side of a mountain.  If nothing else, he at least now he had a place to spend the night.

            He wandered in, now wishing more than ever he hadn't told Gabumon not too follow; he could've used his Blue Blaster to start a fire.  He decided to explore farther back in the cave while there was still enough daylight to illuminate it.

            He knew once he had trouble seeing his hand in front of his face, he should've stopped, but he felt a little safer being farther back.  He walked a little further when his crest began to glow.  It was shining so brightly he could now see several feet ahead of him.

            As he continued on, it seemed the light of his crest was concentrated on one particular point of the stone wall.  He tried to move in that direction, and as he did, the lighted area shrank and a spot on the wall grew brighter.  It was as if his crest were trying to lead him to that spot, like there was something important there.  When he took a closer look, he realized part of the stone seemed to stand out a little more.  The shade of the rock was slightly different and it seemed to protrude out a little farther.  

            He felt it to try to get a better idea of what it was, and it pressed in like a button.  The floor beneath him began to shake and then slowly split open.  He screamed as he realized he was falling, falling, falling into darkness…

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *          

            The Digidestined walked in silence.  They were growing less confident and morale was low.  They all had the same questions on their minds; Would they be able to find Tai _and_ Matt?; Was Tai even still alive?; Would Agumon and Gabumon be able to warp digivolve without their partners?  If not, would they be able to fight off Ariesmon if he attacked again?

            T.K. and Kari, both worrying about their brothers, found comfort in each other,  Mimi and Biyomon were frequently trying to console Sora, and Gomamon occasionally broke the silence with poor attempts to say something funny to lift the spirits of his friends.

            As they settled down to make camp for the night, no body spoke one question that plagued them most; Could there be a chance that they would fail this time?

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "You will be very helpful to us, boy", Tai heard the malevolent voice say as he stared at its owner in fear.

            "I'll die before I help you, you disgusting waste of data!", Tai yelled back fiercely.

            Wardevimon laughed wickedly.  "Oh, but you already have.  You've done exactly what I wanted you to do."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

            "My Lord", said a Garbagemon, walking into the room with his head bowed, "there's been a disturbance in the South entrance."

            "Ariesmon, go with him and take care of it.  I trust your judgment in handling the situation."

            "Right away, sir", Ariesmon replied, leaving the room with a bow.  While watching Ariesmon leave the room, Tai saw the orb behind Wardevimon begin to glow brightly.  

            "Ah, their nearing the castle", Wardevimon said, walking to the orb.  "Oh, what a shame, they seem to be stopping for the night.  And they're so close to reaching us too.  No bother, I'll just send them some…entertainment to keep them on their toes.  "Redvegiemon!", he cried loudly.

            A Redvegiemon immediately entered the room and stood at attention.  "You called for me, sir?"

            "Yes, I need you to take your troops and visit the Digidestined.  They're just East of us."

            "Do you have anything particular in mind?  Any specific orders?"

            "No, not really.  Do what you see fit just as long as you leave them at least slightly alive.  I want to be the one to crush the life out of them."

            "As you wish, my Lord."  With those instructions the Redvegiemon left, intent on creating violence and spilling blood.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Matt sat up slowly, shaking his head groggily.  He wasn't sure, but he thought he must've passed out for at least a few minutes.  There was the faint metallic taste of blood in his mouth so he spit and wiped his split lip with his hand.  He rubbed his right arm gently and judging from the pain, that's what he landed on.

            To his dismay, his crest had stopped glowing and he was once again surrounded by darkness.  A dank, musty odor filled his nostrils and the only thing he was sure of was that he was still inside of a cave.  After falling as far as he did, he didn't think he would be able to climb back out, so his only choice was to start walking, though he wasn't sure which way to walk.  He just chose the direction that felt right to him and began on his way.

            He hadn't gone far at all when he felt the presence of someone else in the cave with him.  Goosebumps spread across his skin as he tried to convince himself it was just his paranoid imagination.  He continued moving forward (or maybe backward, he wasn't sure) when he walked into something large.

            A strong hand clamped around his neck and lifted him into the air.  He tried to scream but no sound could escape through the force being applied to his throat.  Not sure how much longer he could last on the limited air supply he was receiving, he prayed he would be put down soon.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Sora, do you think Tai and Matt'll be alright?", Kari asked, her voice full of worry.

            Sora looked around at the dozing digimon, glad they were able to get some rest.  She stalled a moment, not sure what to say.  She didn't think she could say anything truly comforting through her own fear.  "I hope so Kari."

            "Don't worry", Joe said reassuringly.  "They're both strong and smart.  If anybody can survive in the Digiworld, it's those too."

            "Hey, did anybody hear that?", Izzy asked, looking out into the trees.

            "Hear what?", Mimi asked.

            "That sound, that rustling noise.  Something's out there."

            They all grew quiet, listening, now alert, to the sounds they heard them.  They heard nothing other than the usual things that went bump in the night.

            T.K. began to ask, "Are you sure you hear-", when he was suddenly hit in the back of the head by a large wad of pink digisludge.  

            The next thing they heard was the battle cry of a Redvegiemon.  "ATTACK!"

            "Look out!", Izzy yelled to Mimi as she was jumped by a Vegiemon.  The Digimon woke to the sounds of the screaming kids and began to fend off the attackers.  The kids took cover behind the trees, watching as wave after wave of Vegiemon came at their Digimon partners.  

            Though Vegiemon weren't particularly difficult enemies to defeat, there were so many of them that the Digidestined weren't sure of their Digimon would be able to overcome them.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Tai could just make out his friends in the floating orb.  He was struggling to see past Wardevimon to watch them when Ariesmon returned.  Tai gasped when he saw him holding Matt in the air.

            Ariesmon threw a barely conscious Matt on the ground, sending him to his knees gasping for air.  "Well done", said Wardevimon, sounding pleased.  "You've caught another of the Digidestined.  Before you know it they'll all be here."  Ariesmon looked pleased with himself.

            "You know", began Wardevimon, "I really don't see the use of holding to of them here.  I can't be sure, but after watching these Digidorks, I don't think they even know we've got this blonde one.  As long as we have the leader, that will be plenty of bait to lure them here."  Tai now realized what Wardevimon meant about him helping them.

            "Are you suggesting we get rid of him now?", Ariesmon asked, a glimmer of hope crossing his face.

            "Yes, I think that would be best, but if you don't mind, I think I'll take care of this one myself.  I haven't had the blood of another on my hands in sometime. I almost forget what it feels like.

            "Whatever you say, sir", Ariesmon replied, very obviously looking disappointed.

            "I think I'll shall make this quick and messy.  I'll save the long, drawn out, more painful death for his brother, the one who defeated me the first time.  Keep him down on the floor."

            Ariesmon did as he was commanded on pinned Matt against the ground on his stomach.  Matt's cheek was pressed painfully against the hard, cold floor.  Wardevimon raised one large, clawed foot over Matt's head.  Not knowing what to do, Tai could only watch with horror.

                        ***Well, there's part 4.  I hope I'm keeping you in a little bit of suspense.  I'll try to have the next (maybe the last) part up soon.  Please, please, please R&R so I'll wanna keep writing.  Thanks!


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